Controlling your heating and hot water

Boiler controls make a big difference to your comfort and energy usage. You can decide when you want your heating, and in some cases hot water, to come on and go off and how warm you want your home to be. They ensure a comfortable temperature whilst reducing your energy use, so that you only pay for what you need when you need it.

Built-in boiler controls

Your boiler is likely to have two control dials or push buttons on the front, These are a hot water temperature control and a central heating temperature control

The hot water temperature control dial is for setting the temperature of the hot water coming out of your taps and shower,

The central heating temperature control dial is for controlling the temperature of the water that goes from the boiler into your radiators – not the room temperature, It the setting is too high. the boiler will use more energy than it should as well as wasting it

You may also find that the radiators will get very hot and reach the programmed room temperature very quickly. which will turn the boiler off and then back on again when the temperature dips down. This constant on-off action uses more energy, A high setting will also affect the boiler’s ability to condense (capture and re-use the heat that would otherwise escape), which means that energy will be wasted.

It’s also important not to set the dial too low either as the radiators will take longer to heat the rooms to the temperature you want.

Optional controls

Timers and programmers

A boiler timer is a basic device that allows you to set specific times for your central heating system to come on and turn oft, with the same times repeated every day

A boiler programmer allows you to set your heating and sometimes hot water to switch on and off at different times on different days of the week to suit your lifestyle.

Most modern programmers also automatically adjust for British Summertime

A room thermostat monitors the air temperature and enables you to set the level you want, If the temperature drops below this level the thermostat switches your boiler on.

Keeping your system topped up

There are three ways to top up your system, which will depend on the type of boiler you have. Ask your installer if you are not sure which method applies to your boiler. Alternatively, see the ‘Homeowner’ section of the Worcester Bosch website at www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/support/troubleshooting/faqs. With all three methods you should turn off the power to the boiler before you start, and stop the process when the pressure gauge reaches 1 bar.

1. An external filling hose
This needs to be connected manually between the filling link and mains water connection.

2. Worcester internal filling key
This is normally located under the boiler and needs to be inserted into the filling link, enabling you to increase the pressure of your system.

3. Worcester keyless filling link
This is the quickest and easiest method. It is permanently fitted to certain wall-mounted Worcester combi-boilers and has a lever underneath. To top up the system, simply pull the lever down until the correct pressure is achieved then release.

Watch how to top up your system at https://www.youtube.com/user/WorcesterBoschGroup